Jan 25, 2009

misunderstandings.

Last week, I finally got up the nerve to cut my hair super short. I've had short hair for as long as I can remember, but not this short. Right now I've just sort of reached a place where I am tired of my hair controlling how I feel - if it looks bad, I feel bad, etc. In the humidity I experience here, it's also hard to control. So I decided to go super short and I wouldn't have to worry about blow drying it to get it straight or working every day to get some  volume into this limp mess. 
I took the following photo to the salon. 
I should've been wary when the hair dresser kept asking me questions about how fine my hair was - have I ever gotten a perm? how much product do I use? etc. I know my hair is fine, and I also know perms wreck my hair and lots of product weigh it down. But she assured me I should grow it out and get a perm and load it up with lots of product. "You need lots of product for fine hair." A red light should've gone off in my head at that point, because when she got around to styling my hair after the cut she loaded me down with four products before the blow dry. I think she knew I was suspicious because she turned me away from the mirror to style me. I snook a peak after the blow dry ... my hair was standing on end, straight up. I'll give it to her, it had volume. She then took out her battle gear and went to town straightening and curling my hair into tiny little sections. And then came the comb. And the feathering. She assured me though, "I'm trying to style it like the picture." I didn't go to hair school, but I did feel that that simple hair style should not take this much time to accomplish or else my entire reasoning for getting the cut had just been lobbed off like the rest of my hair. Finally, she finished and turned me to the mirror. I'll let you judge for yourself. 
That's how I left the salon. Andy was waiting for me and just looked at me as I paid. I think he was officially speechless. I was, too. I managed a weak goodbye and hightailed it out of that place hands over my head just trying to calm the poof. I don't think the picture fully captures the moment. That was after a whole car drive home running my hands over and over. 
After a quick shower, a blow dry, and some texture creme I ended up with this:
It was savable. In the end, I'm happy with it. The cut was good - the styling bad. But it takes about 3 minutes in the morning to style and possibly even less time to dry after a shower. No straightening, no mousse, no frizz serum. Just a happy me.

4 shared a thought:

Tracy said...

hhhmmm...well, you definitely did not come away from the salon with a Natalie Portman look-a-like 'do! LOL! Poor you...sounds like salon nightmare! I think your wash-out of product and rearrangement looks much, MUCH better! I'm glad you were about to recover your hair and dignity. :o) I have thick hair, but I hate being pressured to use a lot of product to control it. I'm an au naturel king of gal. You are brave to share all this with us...I applaud you! Happy Day ((HUGS)) Oh, stop by when you get a chance this week--I'm having a fun Valentine Giveaway!

April said...

Your own styling looks much better indeed!

Once I had a similar experience...I was so embarrassed to even be in public with the style she'd left me with and when I washed and styled it myself it turned out to be the perfect cut...just HORRENDOUS styling.

You look great with short hair!

LaTonya Yvette said...

You did a great job of fixing it.

Jaimee McClellan said...

Your spin on it is MUCH nicer than what you left the salon with. Although, I do love the face you're making in that photo :)

I did the same thing years ago and absolutely loved it and the freedom of having no hair to deal with. THEN, I let it grow in and haven't the nerve to try it again. Maybe one of these days!